Minsk court leaves Uralkali CEO Baumgertner under arrest

CEO of the Russian potash giant Uralkali Vladislav Baumgertner was left under arrest at a detention centre of the Belarusian State Security Committee. The Minsk city court has taken a ruling to this effect on Friday. The Minsk city court tried an appeal of the lawyers against a ruling, which Partizansky district court in Minsk had passed to leave Baumgertner in custody. The district court did not find any reasons to release the Uralkali CEO from custody a week ago. “Our appeal is turned down,” one of Baumgertner’s lawyers Dmitry Goryachko told reporters. “We will file a new appeal,” he said. The Minsk city court has been trying an appeal of the lawyers for about 1.5 hours. Chairman of Supervisory Board for Belarusian Potash Company and CEO for Uralkali Vladislav Baumgertner has been detained in Minsk August 26. The Investigative Committee inquires into criminal cases filed by the country’s Prosecutor’s Office under articles connected with authority abuse and abuse of office by employees ofBelarusian Potash Company – Chairman of Supervisory Board Vladislav Baumgertner, Supervisory Board member Oleg Petrov, First Deputy CEO Konstantin Solodovnikov, Financial Affairs Deputy CEO Igor Yevstratov, Head of Freight Department Dmitry Samoylov and other staff members. “Reasons for initiation of criminal cases became files that indicate on the abuse of office that led to substantial damage to Belarus’s national and governmental interests, as well as losses to Beloruskali OJSC andBelarusian Potash Company CJSC,” the Investigative Committee’s representative noted. The Investigative Committee’s spokesperson added that by virtue of the evidence available in the case, as well as other facts the Investigative Committee determined to consider the criminally persecuted persons as charged offenders.